Nearby Words

outwit

[out-wit] Origin

out·wit

[out-wit]
verb (used with object), -wit·ted, -wit·ting.
1.
to get the better of by superior ingenuity or cleverness; outsmart: to outwit a dangerous opponent.
2.
Archaic. to surpass in wisdom or knowledge.

Origin:
1645–55; out- + wit1


1. outguess, outfox, outmaneuver, outthink, finesse.

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Outwit is one of our favorite verbs.
So is skedaddle. Does it mean:
to run away hurriedly; flee.
to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.
Collins
World English Dictionary
outwit (ˌaʊtˈwɪt)
 
vb , -wits, -witting, -witted
1.  to get the better of by cunning or ingenuity
2.  archaic to be of greater intelligence than

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

outwit
"to get the better of by superior wits," 1652, from out + wit (q.v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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